The weight of 92 years of World Cup despair is firmly on Mohamed Salah's shoulders as Egypt prepares to take on the world. The Liverpool superstar carries the hopes and dreams of an entire nation, his every step, shot, and goal a potential turning point in a tournament that has been a source of frustration for generations of Egyptian football fans.
The stark contrast between Egypt's unparalleled success on the continental stage – seven Africa Cup of Nations titles – and their woeful World Cup record is a harsh reality check. While other African teams are setting ambitious targets, many Egyptians would be content with a single group stage win, as highlighted in humorous adverts by Orange featuring national players whose optimism for World Cup progression was met with family scepticism.
Salah's pivotal role in Egypt's qualification campaign cannot be overstated – nine goals and three assists that secured their spot in the expanded 48-team tournament. His impact is a far cry from Egypt's 'golden generation' of the 2000s, who dominated on the continent but never reached the World Cup.
The stakes are higher than ever for Salah, who arrives at this tournament under different circumstances to four years ago. Then, he was a rising star after a sensational debut season at Liverpool; now, at 34, he boasts a trophy-laden career, having won every major honour with his club. In Egypt, the expectation is not just about qualifying but about winning, and Salah's legacy would be forever cemented if he guides his country to an elusive World Cup victory.
Egypt's manager, Hossam Hassan, openly acknowledged the team's dependence on their star player. "We have great players – I am very happy with my squad – but, of course, we depend on Salah in big moments," Hassan stated. "He scores goals, he creates chances. We need him to be at his best and he will be. I am confident he can guide us to victories." A concerning parallel to 2018 is Salah's arrival at the World Cup with an injury, this time a hamstring issue that affected the end of his Liverpool season.